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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ground — the earth
  6. charge — electricity
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rule — a law
  9. cell — a phone
  10. object — an aim
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. march — the month
  13. ground — crushed
  14. march — music
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. march — the month
  17. ground — a position
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. cell — in biology
  21. charge — a price
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rule — government
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com